# Accident 20100824044089A: Grob-Werke G 120A, Buckeye, AZ, August 24, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 24, 2010, 14:00 local time
- Place: Buckeye, AZ
- Airport: Buckeye Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: VJ3S
- Location: 33.4209° N, 112.6830° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4209&lon=-112.6830&mi=10
- Aircraft: N865AF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N865AF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grob-Werke G 120A (registry code 1660208, https://openairdocs.org/model/grob-werke-g-120a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series (registry code 41568, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GROB-WERKE G 120A
- Reported engine: LYCOMING AEIO-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 20 total, 20 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR10LA426](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA426) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100824044089A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

STUDENT ON FIRST SOLO FLIGHT MAKING FIRST SOLO LANDING INITIALLY LANDED ON ALL THREE GEARS BUT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED UP OFF THE RUNWAY.  THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY THE SECOND TIME NOSE WHEEL FIRST AND BOUNCED UP AGAIN AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK.  THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE ENERGY TO GO AROUND AT THAT POINT AND THAT HE PUSHED FORWARD ON THE PITCH CONTROL NOSING THE AIRCRAFT OVER.  THE FINAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WAS NOSE GEAR FIRST AND THE PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS ON THE GROUND INDICATED PROPELLER CONTACT JUST PRIOR TO NOSE WHEEL CONTACT, ESTIMATED TO BE AT LEAST 25 DEGREES NOSE DOWN.  THE STUDENT PILOT AND HIS INSTRUCTOR WITNESSING THAT ACCIDENT FROM THE GROUND STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER FROM A HIGH OF AT LEAST 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY.  ON THIS CONTACT, THE CARBON FIBER NOSE WHEEL YOKE SHEARED AT ITS UPPER MOUNTING BASE AND FOLDED BACK APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES UNTIL THE NOSE TIRE PRESSED AGAINST THE NOSE STRUT.  THE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS NOW THE FRONT LOWER MOST PORTION OF THE BOTTOM OF THE NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY.  IT GOUGED THE RUNWAY AND THEN SCRAPED THE RUNWAY WITH THE BOUND NOSE TIRE SKIDDING OVER THIS SCRAPING.  DIAGONAL PROPELLER STRIKES LEAVING ONE-INCH WIDE MARKS CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED WITH THE ANGLE OF THE DIAGONAL DECREASING AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED.  THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL YOKE FAILED WAS UP THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR, WHICH MOUNTS, IN THE UPPER AFT PORTION OF THE NOSE WHEEL BOX SECTION CAUSING IT TO BECOME COMPLETELY DISBONDED FROM THE FIREWALL AND THE FUSELAGE.  THIS THEN PUSHED BACK AND UP INTO THE AIRFRAME DISBANDING THE PEDAL FRAMES, CRACKING THE FIRST CROSS-MEMBER FRAME, DAMAGING THE BEAM BELOW THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE MIDDLE CONSOLE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR10LA426](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA426), Aug 24, 2010: Grob-Werke G 120A (N865AF), Buckeye, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

## Other reports on N865AF (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20120915020549I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120915020549I), Sep 15, 2012: Grob-Werke G 120A (N865AF), Goodyear, AZ, No damage. On 9/15/2012 at approximately 1515 local time a student pilot flying N865AF a grobe-Werke G120A aborted a takeoff from rwy 21.the aircraft veered off the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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